Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Qualcomm and Zebra invest in Third Wave Automation

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Third Wave Automation, a provider of high-reach autonomous forklifts, has received strategic investments from Qualcomm Ventures and Zebra Technologies, bringing the startup’s total funding to $70 million.

Carlos Kokron, vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, and managing director, Qualcomm Ventures Americas, says: “The increasing adoption of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and 5G connectivity is facilitating the use of autonomous solutions within the warehouse.

“Third Wave Automation’s shared autonomy approach with continuous learning capabilities delivers immediate value to the customers by easily integrating with existing workflows while enhancing labor productivity and safety. We are excited to invest in Third Wave Automation to bring next-generation autonomy to the forklifts.” [Read more…] about Qualcomm and Zebra invest in Third Wave Automation

North American robot sales on track for another record year for 2022

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North American robot sales in the first nine months of 2022 reached record levels, with all indications pointing to 2022 ending with the highest number of robots sold in a year for the second year in a row.

According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), from January to September 2022, North American companies purchased 35,804 units valued at $1.875 billion, up 24 percent for units ordered and 27 percent for revenue over the same period in 2021.

Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, says: “Ongoing labor shortages, easier-to-use robotic solutions and new industries embracing robotics, such as restaurants, retail, construction and even agriculture, have led to record units sold here in North America this year. [Read more…] about North American robot sales on track for another record year for 2022

Ethics and robotics: A match made in heaven for risk management?

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By Lee Bristow, CTO of Phinity

If your business uses third parties to support core operations (and most do, from SMEs to corporates), you’ll know they need to access essential data. Without this, they can’t deliver the services you require.

Therefore, alongside this new relationship between you and your third party suppliers, comes a new responsibility for you.

You now have an ethical and legal onus to protect the customer information entrusted to you. [Read more…] about Ethics and robotics: A match made in heaven for risk management?

Brain Corp unveils new platform for its autonomous commercial robots

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Brain Corp, an artificial intelligence company specializing in cleaning and inventory robotics, has released its “next generation autonomy platform for commercial robotics”.

The third generation platform represents the latest evolution of Brain Corp’s BrainOS autonomous robotic operating system, which currently powers over 20,000 autonomous robots operating in public spaces, and has been designed to underpin a future generation of intelligent robotic solutions to be applied across multiple commercial sectors.

The new, modular architecture promotes faster and easier product development and includes a number of key features designed to expand potential robot applications and advance machine capabilities, performance, safety and security. [Read more…] about Brain Corp unveils new platform for its autonomous commercial robots

Third Wave Automation raises $40 million in new investment

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Third Wave Automation has closed its Series B financing, a $40 million round led by Norwest Venture Partners with participation from prior investors Innovation Endeavors and Eclipse, along with Toyota Ventures.

Third Wave is a startup company which says it has achieved a “breakthrough in machine learning, computer vision and robotic material manipulation”.

The additional funds will accelerate growth and commercialization efforts. As a part of the changes, Matt Howard, general partner at Norwest Venture Partners, will join Third Wave’s board of directors.

Howard says: “I’ve been tracking Arshan and the team at Third Wave for some time and have been consistently impressed. [Read more…] about Third Wave Automation raises $40 million in new investment

30 critical raw materials: EU prioritizes lithium but launches plan to avoid dependency

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The European Commission, the administrative arm of the European Union, has listed 30 “critical raw materials” that it wants to secure the supply of while at the same time avoiding becoming dependent on any of them.

The four new additions to the list are bauxite, lithium, titanium and strontium.

Lithium, a fundamental material in the manufacturing of batteries of all kinds, is increasingly gaining importance as more and more people buy electric cars. [Read more…] about 30 critical raw materials: EU prioritizes lithium but launches plan to avoid dependency

South Korea reaches new record of 300,000 industrial robots in operation

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South Korea has doubled the number of industrial robots over the past five years to reach a new record of 300,000 industrial robots in operation.

This is according to figures in the World Robotics report, released by the International Federation of Robotics.

The data shows a new record stock of about 300,000 operational industrial robots in the Republic of Korea – more commonly known as South Korea – in 2018, which is an increase of about 10 percent on the previous year. [Read more…] about South Korea reaches new record of 300,000 industrial robots in operation

Kassow Robots adds three ports to its collaborative robots for end of arm tools

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Kassow Robots, a startup which launched a new collaborative robot last year, has adding ports into its machines to provide integration with end-of-arm tools.

The Danish robot manufacturer, which develops and produces its 7-axis collaborative robots in Copenhagen, says the ports provide “easy connection of end-of-arm tool directly to a Kassow Robot without cable on the outside of the robot”.

Dieter Pletscher, head of sales at Kassow Robots, says: “All our cobots have three ports with various I/Os and power supply signals. Two of the ports are for digital or analogue input/output. [Read more…] about Kassow Robots adds three ports to its collaborative robots for end of arm tools

Oceaneering selected to ‘digitally’ transform Pacific Drilling’s global fleet

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Oceaneering International, Inc., and Pacific Drilling have entered into a five-year Digital Services Package agreement to provide Pacific’s customers with better reliability and improved throughput enabling streaming video and real-time data.

This will allow the provision of emerging services such as remote ROV piloting, surveying, and automation aboard Pacific Drilling’s high-specification drillship fleet.

As a result of these efforts, Pacific Drilling’s customers can benefit from higher security, increased access and management of third parties as well as new and expanded digital services.

[Read more…] about Oceaneering selected to ‘digitally’ transform Pacific Drilling’s global fleet